Chiminea Usage Comments

98bge

With the fall temps we have started using our Chiminea.  Just wondering how others are using their model.  

First attempt with a simple piece of firewood from Ace Hardware was too slow of a burn.  Had to use lots of kindling and that single piece of wood took three evenings to burn.  Then decided to use a chain saw to make large chunks out of each piece of firewood.  That has burned better but I still am only burning a single layer of wood. 

We moved our Chiminea much closer to our outdoor chairs than we originally tried.  It's clearly not a fire pit - where you use much more fuel and have a large heated area.  Rather it is an outside fireplace not entirely responsible for heating your area but instead a complement to the evening atmosphere.  That's to our liking as we don't want our deck taken over by the space a fire pit would need.

We love the look of the Chiminea but would like to know others experience with it.  Looking forward to other comments on this wonderful addition to the BGE.

lkapigian

While I don’t have a Chiminea would think it is no different than any other “ burning wood for heat “ ( fire pit or offset cooker ) where you really want a good coal bed , that ceramic will radiate the heat just fine with a coal bed and keeping a split or two burning to feed the bed …. You would want splits that catch as soon as you put them in staying away from wood that’s to dense or large 

Just my thoughts 

fishlessman

too cold for a chiminea here right now, it was 31 degrees this morning on my way to work. tried propane patio heaters before and any breeze and they were useless for heat. my fire pit is 8 feet deep and 5 feet wide, im looking at getting a small bucket loader just to remove the 3 feet of ash buildup right now

fishlessman

for the chiminea, i built a small wood stove for the boat years ago out of a 20 pound propane bottle. hard to burn in and create enough heat to cook on. to get it to work i extended the chimney about 4 feet with some ducting, got the bed of coals burning hot with lump, then started adding small splits to keep it burning well. the trick was to get it as hot as possible and add the top chimney to get the air draft working properly. a fireplace in the house is similar, theres no good draft until its cold outside for several days and then you need to get that brickwork hot to get the draft working.  just an idea

Bellavista52

I found that you need a pile of kindling and a couple of smallish well aged firewood splits. Once the kindling is going with a good coal base, then put the one firewood splits down the chimney and let get going, then put a second one in and they will burn against each other and make quite a nice fire with flames shooting out of the chimney top.

RRP

98bge said:

With the fall temps we have started using our Chiminea.  Just wondering how others are using their model.  

First attempt with a simple piece of firewood from Ace Hardware was too slow of a burn.  Had to use lots of kindling and that single piece of wood took three evenings to burn.  Then decided to use a chain saw to make large chunks out of each piece of firewood.  That has burned better but I still am only burning a single layer of wood. 

We moved our Chiminea much closer to our outdoor chairs than we originally tried.  It's clearly not a fire pit - where you use much more fuel and have a large heated area.  Rather it is an outside fireplace not entirely responsible for heating your area but instead a complement to the evening atmosphere.  That's to our liking as we don't want our deck taken over by the space a fire pit would need.

We love the look of the Chiminea but would like to know others experience with it.  Looking forward to other comments on this wonderful addition to the BGE.

New or old chiminea? If new style and if you don’t mind telling me about how much did it cost? I haven’t seen one in person so that’s why I’m asking.

98bge

RRP said: New or old chiminea? If new style and if you don’t mind telling me about how much did it cost? I haven’t seen one in person so that’s why I’m asking.

We have the new model.  Cost was aprox $699 - from the corporate store (don't recall exactly.

Ozzie_Isaac

ColtsFan

I put 3-4 smaller splits in mine and light it with my JJ George torch. You aren't going to sweat sitting around it but that's not the intent. Stoke it up! It shoots pretty fire tornadoes out the top if you do.

RRP

ColtsFan said:

I put 3-4 smaller splits in mine and light it with my JJ George torch. You aren't going to sweat sitting around it but that's not the intent. Stoke it up! It shoots pretty fire tornadoes out the top if you do.

COOL! BTW did it come with that stand or was that extra coins? And what's the warranty? 

ColtsFan

@RRP It was included  

DoubleEgger

ColtsFan said:

I put 3-4 smaller splits in mine and light it with my JJ George torch. You aren't going to sweat sitting around it but that's not the intent. Stoke it up! It shoots pretty fire tornadoes out the top if you do.

Pro Tip - Don’t tie your dog’s leash to it. 

xfire_ATX

I use my (non BGE) Chiminea all winter long.

I build my base with very small twigs (I just walk the yard), then I usually have some old cedar pickets lying around from fence repair or thumb sized cut up branches.  Then I work my up to 2" diameter pieces and maybe an hour into a burn I'll go w some large pieces.

Once mine gets going it eats wood though, its surprising how much 2 hours of burning will use.

shtgunal3

DoubleEgger said:

ColtsFan said:

I put 3-4 smaller splits in mine and light it with my JJ George torch. You aren't going to sweat sitting around it but that's not the intent. Stoke it up! It shoots pretty fire tornadoes out the top if you do.

Pro Tip - Don’t tie your dog’s leash to it. 

That could be devastating

lkapigian

shtgunal3 said:

DoubleEgger said:

ColtsFan said:

I put 3-4 smaller splits in mine and light it with my JJ George torch. You aren't going to sweat sitting around it but that's not the intent. Stoke it up! It shoots pretty fire tornadoes out the top if you do.

Pro Tip - Don’t tie your dog’s leash to it. 

That could be devastating

All time classic 

DoubleEgger

shtgunal3 said:

DoubleEgger said:

ColtsFan said:

I put 3-4 smaller splits in mine and light it with my JJ George torch. You aren't going to sweat sitting around it but that's not the intent. Stoke it up! It shoots pretty fire tornadoes out the top if you do.

Pro Tip - Don’t tie your dog’s leash to it. 

That could be devastating

But you might get to see some sugar gliders! 

Ozzie_Isaac

DoubleEgger said:

shtgunal3 said:

DoubleEgger said:

ColtsFan said:

I put 3-4 smaller splits in mine and light it with my JJ George torch. You aren't going to sweat sitting around it but that's not the intent. Stoke it up! It shoots pretty fire tornadoes out the top if you do.

Pro Tip - Don’t tie your dog’s leash to it. 

That could be devastating

But you might get to see some sugar gliders! 

Sugar gliders are okay, it is their nests I really like.

RRP

OK gang - just say iffin a guy wanted one does he just go to his helpful hardware man and order it from ACE's distribution center? And if so is the $699 plus tax the same price if ordered in CA or NY or even say some god forsaken state like IL?

98bge

One of our local ACE has one so it is possible for them to carry it.  Please consider that I was told this is a limited run item (3000 if I recall) - made to commemorate the 50 yr anniversary of BGE.  Not sure why they don't currently have a larger production or if they have considered an x-large model.  

ColtsFan

So I hopped on the preorder fairly early and my local dealer never got one. I ended up driving two hours to another dealer who had 3 on the floor. Our local BGE rep tracked it down for me. 

JohnInCarolina

Ozzie_Isaac said:

DoubleEgger said:

shtgunal3 said:

DoubleEgger said:

ColtsFan said:

I put 3-4 smaller splits in mine and light it with my JJ George torch. You aren't going to sweat sitting around it but that's not the intent. Stoke it up! It shoots pretty fire tornadoes out the top if you do.

Pro Tip - Don’t tie your dog’s leash to it. 

That could be devastating

But you might get to see some sugar gliders! 

Sugar gliders are okay, it is their nests I really like.

Not sure there’s ever been a pet that’s more aptly named.

lkapigian

RRP said:

OK gang - just say iffin a guy wanted one does he just go to his helpful hardware man and order it from ACE's distribution center? And if so is the $699 plus tax the same price if ordered in CA or NY or even say some god forsaken state like IL?

Looks like it’s the same across the board so set by BGE, I’m in California same price 

bluebird66

My local Ace keeps them in stock.

98bge

Our unit in use!  (BGE Large immediately to the right)

cmac610

Love ours! And yes, we normally have ours turned around facing us…

RRP

Your list is quite an arsenal of cookers! I love your patio. Did you set the stones yourself? Are all your cookers there on that same area?

WoodworkerBED

I am intrigued with the Chiminea.  Looks cool, but does it actually throw off much heat?  We live in Central Wisconsin, where it still actually gets cold despite climate change.

98bge

IMHO - any discussion regarding heat needs to start with the amount of fuel being used.  From what I have read, Solo stove fire pits are recommended to start with four or five pieces of firewood and then after adding two more as fire burns down.  Compare this to the Chiminea which only has room for two logs.  You could try more but two logs will result in plenty of flames reaching the vented top black cap.

My two cents - if you want heat you will need more fuel than what the Chiminea allows.  On the other hand if you want to enhance your outdoor seating experience - similar to having a fireplace going in your living room (does anybody still do this?) then the Chiminea fits that need exactly.

I'm still new to the Chiminea.  We have used ours about eight times.  Living in Atlanta there is certainly less of a need for outdoor heat than you will have in Wisconsin.  As the temp drops into the low sixties we find the using the Chiminea as a heat source to be limited.  

One more topic anyone buying this product should consider is what area will you be using it in.  That is, if you are sitting in your yard with bunch of adirondack chairs in a circle then a fire pit is designed to meet that need.  Lots of room for fuel and flame and generation of heat.  If you have a small seating area - on a deck or a small patio and the firepit will likely take up too much real estate than the Chiminea is for you.

WoodworkerBED

Thanks for the feedback.  Here in Wisconsin the low sixties are still considered warm.  Maybe a long sleeved shirt for some.  So it doesn't look like a Chiminea would be a prudent investment.